Speech Pathology
Supporting Communication, Connection, Independence and Everyday Life
At Holistic Care Therapy, our Speech Pathology services are focused on helping people communicate, connect with others, participate in everyday life and, where required, eat and drink as safely and independently as possible.
We work with children, adolescents and adults with a wide range of communication, developmental and disability-related support needs.
Our approach is individualised and practical. We take the time to understand each person, including their strengths, communication preferences, environment and goals, before developing strategies that can be used in real-life settings — at home, school, work and in the community.
We welcome NDIS participants and private-paying clients.
How Can a Speech Pathologist Help?
Speech Pathology involves much more than speech sounds.
Our Speech Pathologists can assess and provide intervention across a range of areas, including:
Speech and Speech Clarity
Support may include:
- Speech sound development
- Articulation and pronunciation
- Improving speech clarity
- Motor speech difficulties
- Strategies to help others better understand a person’s communication
Language and Understanding
Speech Pathologists can support people who have difficulty understanding or using language.
This may include:
- Understanding instructions and questions
- Following conversations
- Developing vocabulary
- Putting words and sentences together
- Expressing thoughts, needs and ideas
- Understanding concepts
- Sequencing and retelling information
- Receptive and expressive language development
Social Communication
Communication is also about connecting with other people.
Depending on the person’s individual goals, support may focus on:
- Initiating and maintaining interactions
- Communicating needs and preferences
- Understanding different communication styles
- Conversation skills
- Self-advocacy
- Recognising communication breakdowns
- Developing strategies to repair misunderstandings
- Participating in friendships, education, employment and community activities
Our approach recognises and respects different communication styles, including neurodivergent communication.
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)
For people who cannot always rely on speech to communicate effectively, our Speech Pathologists can explore Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
AAC may include:
- Communication boards
- Visual communication systems
- Picture-based communication
- Communication books
- Key-word signing
- Speech-generating devices
- Communication apps and technology
We can assist with assessment, trials, recommendations, implementation and training for the participant and the people supporting them.
The goal is not simply to provide a communication system — it is to help make communication accessible and meaningful across the person’s everyday environments.
Swallowing, Eating and Drinking Support
Speech Pathologists also have an important role in assessing and managing swallowing difficulties, known as dysphagia.
Difficulties with swallowing can affect a person’s safety, health, nutrition, hydration and quality of life.
Depending on the person’s needs, Speech Pathology support may include:
- Clinical swallowing assessment
- Assessment of eating and drinking skills
- Mealtime observation
- Identification of swallowing risks
- Recommendations for safer eating and drinking
- Mealtime positioning and environmental recommendations
- Texture and fluid recommendations where clinically appropriate
- Development of mealtime management plans
- Education and training for families, carers and support workers
- Liaison with GPs, Dietitians, Occupational Therapists and other health professionals
- Recommendations for further medical or instrumental swallowing assessment where required
Where swallowing difficulties relate to a participant’s disability and meet NDIS funding requirements, some dysphagia supports may be funded by the NDIS.
Speech Pathology Assessments
Sometimes the first step is understanding exactly what is happening.
Our Speech Pathologists can complete assessments to identify a person’s strengths, functional communication needs and areas where additional support may be beneficial.
Depending on the referral question, assessment may explore:
- Receptive language
- Expressive language
- Speech and speech clarity
- Functional communication
- Social communication
- Literacy-related communication skills
- AAC and communication technology
- Swallowing and mealtime safety
- Communication participation across home, school, work and community environments
Assessment may involve a combination of standardised assessment, observation, interviews, functional assessment and consultation with the important people in the person’s life.
Following assessment, we can provide practical recommendations and, where required, a written report.
Speech Pathology and the NDIS
Holistic Care Therapy provides Speech Pathology services to NDIS participants.
The NDIS may fund Speech Pathology when the therapy is related to a person’s disability, meets the NDIS funding criteria and is directed towards improving or maintaining functional capacity, independence and participation.
Speech Pathology may be funded through Capacity Building – Improved Daily Living, depending on the participant’s individual NDIS plan and the supports stated within that plan.
NDIS-funded Speech Pathology may include:
- Assessment
- Individual therapy
- Development of communication strategies
- AAC assessment and implementation
- Swallowing and mealtime assessment where eligible
- Development of resources
- Training for family members, carers and support workers
- Consultation with the participant’s wider support team
- Progress reviews
- Reports and recommendations where required
Our team can work collaboratively with Support Coordinators, Recovery Coaches, families, schools, support providers and other allied health professionals to help ensure therapy strategies are practical and carried over into everyday life.
Supporting Evidence and NDIS Reports
Speech Pathology assessment and reporting can also provide important evidence about how a person’s disability affects their functional communication and participation.
Where clinically appropriate, reports may describe:
- The person’s communication strengths and support needs
- Functional impact of their disability
- Assessment findings
- Current communication abilities
- Barriers to participation
- Communication support requirements
- Therapy recommendations
- AAC requirements
- Swallowing or mealtime support needs
- Recommendations for training and implementation
- Progress towards identified goals
- Recommendations regarding ongoing Speech Pathology support
We understand that NDIS reports need to do more than provide assessment scores. They should explain what the findings mean for the person’s everyday functioning, independence, safety and participation.
Working With Children and Schools
For children and young people, communication difficulties often look different across different environments.
A child may communicate differently at home, school, therapy and in the community.
With appropriate consent and school approval, our Speech Pathologists can work collaboratively with:
- Parents and carers
- Teachers
- School Learning Support Officers
- Learning and Support Teams
- Occupational Therapists
- Behaviour Support Practitioners
- Psychologists
- Paediatricians
- Support workers
- Other professionals involved in the child’s care
Where appropriate, services may include school observations, consultation with teachers, therapy within natural environments and development of practical strategies that can be incorporated into the child’s everyday routines.
A Collaborative, Multidisciplinary Approach
One of the strengths of Holistic Care Therapy is our multidisciplinary approach.
Communication does not exist in isolation.
A person’s ability to communicate may be affected by their sensory needs, environment, emotional regulation, cognitive abilities, physical abilities, relationships and the communication approaches used by the people around them.
Where beneficial and with the participant’s consent, our Speech Pathologists can collaborate with Holistic Care Therapy’s wider multidisciplinary team, including:
- Occupational Therapists
- Behaviour Support Practitioners
- Psychologists
- Physiotherapists
- Dietitians
- Social Workers
- Counsellors
- Support Workers
- Other professionals involved in the person’s care
This can be particularly valuable for people with multiple or complex support needs.
Speech Pathology and Positive Behaviour Support
Communication and behaviour are often closely connected.
For some people, behaviours of concern can occur when they are unable to communicate pain, discomfort, sensory needs, choices, emotions, requests or a desire to stop or leave an activity.
Where a participant receives both Speech Pathology and Positive Behaviour Support, our practitioners can work collaboratively to better understand the person’s communication and ensure their Behaviour Support Plan considers how communication may influence behaviour.
This may include developing:
- Functional communication strategies
- Accessible choices
- Visual supports
- Ways to communicate “yes”, “no”, “stop”, “help”, “break” and other important messages
- Strategies for support workers and carers
- Communication supports to increase choice and control
The aim is to ensure the person has meaningful and effective ways to communicate throughout their day.
Training for Families, Carers and Support Teams
Good communication support should not only happen during a therapy appointment.
Where appropriate, our Speech Pathologists can provide practical education and training to the people who support the participant every day.
Training may include:
- Implementing communication strategies
- Supporting AAC use
- Recognising an individual’s communication attempts
- Modifying communication to improve understanding
- Using visual supports
- Creating communication opportunities
- Implementing mealtime management recommendations
- Supporting safe eating and drinking
- Recognising signs that may require further assessment or review
Building the skills of the person’s support network can help create greater consistency across home, community, school and other environments.
Telehealth and Face-to-Face Services
Depending on the person’s needs, location and the type of assessment or therapy required, Speech Pathology may be provided through:
- Face-to-face appointments
- Telehealth appointments
- Home-based appointments
- School or community-based appointments, where appropriate
Telehealth can be particularly useful for parent/carer coaching, support-team consultation, some therapy interventions, reviews and multidisciplinary meetings.
Our team will discuss whether telehealth or face-to-face support is clinically appropriate for the person’s individual needs.
Who We Support
Holistic Care Therapy works with people across the lifespan and across a broad range of disabilities and support needs.
This may include people with:
- Autism
- Intellectual disability
- Developmental delay
- Neurological conditions
- Acquired brain injury
- Cerebral palsy and physical disability
- Genetic and chromosomal conditions
- Psychosocial disability
- Complex communication needs
- Swallowing difficulties
- Developmental language and communication difficulties
- Multiple and complex disabilities
We focus on the individual and their functional needs, rather than providing a one-size-fits-all approach based on diagnosis.
NDIS, Plan-Managed, Self-Managed and Private Clients
Holistic Care Therapy can support participants across different NDIS plan-management arrangements, subject to the requirements of the participant’s plan and the services being requested.
We can work with:
- NDIA-managed participants
- Plan-managed participants
- Self-managed participants
- Private-paying clients
Our administration team can assist with service agreements, invoicing and the information required to commence services.
Start Speech Pathology With Holistic Care Therapy
Whether you are looking for communication assessment, ongoing therapy, AAC support, swallowing and mealtime assessment, support-team training or a Speech Pathology report, our team can help you determine the appropriate next step.
We welcome referrals from:
- Participants
- Parents and carers
- Support Coordinators
- Recovery Coaches
- NDIS providers
- Schools
- GPs
- Health professionals
- Allied health practitioners
- Community organisations
Ready to Get Started?
Contact Holistic Care Therapy to discuss your Speech Pathology needs, current availability and referral options.
Holistic Care Therapy — Supporting communication, connection, choice and participation in everyday life.
